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If your brand is launching a new advertising campaign, it can be tempting to execute on what you think will perform best without having conducted much prior research. Before you even begin your campaign building, however, you should always make sure to keep one element top of mind: your
target audience.

When planning out your advertising efforts, ensure you have a thorough understanding of the market's demographics, as well as their views and beliefs. It's worth putting in the extra effort to uncover this information beforehand, as your consumers will be much more receptive to a campaign that caters to their specific needs.

Below, eight agency executives from Forbes Agency Council discuss the reasons why a deep understanding of your audience is necessary to execute a successful advertising campaign.

In this fragmented landscape where consumers are more discerning than ever, it’s essential to understand their needs to move beyond a marketing conversation and connect on a more meaningful level. Your audience is not always buying your product out of utility. There is often an emotional appeal that drives their purchasing, and to tap into that, you need to understand their desires and behaviors. – Dan LaCivita, Firstborn

2. Brand Trust Is at Stake

If you don’t know what your target market wants, you're wasting your dollars and their valuable time. Trust in your client's brand is also at stake. Today, with so much data and analytics available, there's no excuse not to know target market preferences. The more you know, the less likely you are to miss the mark with your messages. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.

3. It's Not Worth the Gamble

If you target your market before you really know the market you're targeting, you're taking a giant gamble. And why, when so many tools are available? Regardless of how savvy you are, it's always important to put in the time and research, interview, and understand your audience in order to not only identify, but validate their wants. – Robby Berthume, Bull & Beard

4. Analytical Data Drives Better Campaigns

If you have the right data about your target audience, you can design campaigns that resonate with them, which translates to more ROI. Even an improvement of 0.1-0.5% in response rate can make your client significantly more ROI. It is your responsibility to know what the target audience wants if you are going to ask a client to entrust you with their budget. – Raoul Davis, The Ascendant Group

5. It’s All About Relevancy

The whole goal of all marketing is to get the right message, to the right person, at the right time. You can do this at the best price possible by finding ways to identify who these people are, and then create marketing campaigns that speak to them directly. You must be well-defined in the minds of consumers with regard to who you are and how you can help them. – Jenna Gross, Moving Targets

The most dangerous thing to do when creating a messaging strategy is to guess or assume you know what your prospects need to hear. Before you embark on any messaging programs, spend the time to ask your target the "right" questions in order to get the true answers you need. Never guess. This will make all the difference in your response rates. – John Gumas, Gumas Advertising

7. Research Drives Insights, Which Drives Effectiveness

Brands must start any communication opportunity with new research that leads to relevant insights and authentic ideas, narratives and activations. Shortchanging that strategic process can be costly because the marketplace is noisy and the competition is fierce. When an insight is right, the work will more predictably resonate with consumers and will ultimately drive stronger outcomes. – Daryl McCullough, Citizen Relations

8. A Narrower Focus Yields Greater ROI

If you don’t define your target market and their needs, you will spend time and money going in the wrong direction. You can’t be someone for everyone. The wider net you cast, the more money you spend, and the less qualified your leads will be. You have to understand what your audience wants so you can fine-tune your marketing to reach out and engage them. – Michael Mogill, Crisp Video Group

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Find out if you qualify at forbesagencycouncil.com/qualify.